RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

I really have to say that I should be thankful that I was born in a atheist family and an atheist country. After reading all these I find that I really am grateful.

As for my experience, it was relatively simple. I was told that I would be blessed and even better blessed after death when I was in really low moods. So I tried to convert myself into a believer. When you are told you can get really sweet customer service if you call one phone number, when you find out that it is just a dead number and if you can't make yourself believe that you already have had got really sweet customer service, then the maths is simple. But I really wished there had been such a number when I felt feeble.

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

Just like for most people, it was rather gradual for me too.

My family was never religious, I only had my grandma taking me to the church etc.
One of the first realizations was when I was thinking what they always told me about my dead grandma, that she is in the sky watching over me and at some point, when I was around 10, I just thought "Is she watching over me even when I poop?". That was the beginning I think. I thought the idea to be ridiculous somehow and questioned it.

However, I have to say that there was an important moment that made me question everything and solidified the loss of my faith. When I was 14, my aunt and uncle (both not religious at all) gave me a book called "Sophie's World", which was my first "step" into philosophy. It made me ask myself "what if...?". That was enough for me to start re-thinking everything and gradually dismiss the idea of a God.

I hadn't called myself an atheist until 4-5 years ago (I'm 23 now), which was when I started realizing the harm the church was doing and re-discovering my love for scientific knowledge (when we were little, me and my brother were crazy about astronomy, we even had a big telescope and watched the moon and the planets and loved spending hours under the night sky). I "decided" I was an atheist because I realized there was no point anymore to call myself an "agnostic".

"Behind every great pirate, there is a great butt."-Guybrush Threepwood-

The following 2 users Like undergroundp's post:2 users Like undergroundp's postPeanut (25-05-2013), Bows and Arrows (25-05-2013)

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(24-05-2013 07:25 PM)Peanut Wrote: Why would he need to "rephrase" that statement?

I didn't say he needed to. By "rephrase", I meant consider how it's false and write something which may more accurately reflect his sentiment. But it was only a suggestion. If he doesn't care to stop saying and/or thinking what he wrote, that's fine by me.

(24-05-2013 07:25 PM)Peanut Wrote: I see nothing wrong with that statement.

Nor do I. I just think it's false, unless by "god" he was referring specifically to ideas and expressions people interacting with him used to influence him rather than the first notions of "god".

(24-05-2013 07:25 PM)Peanut Wrote: Why are you picking apart his comments more than anyone else'?

"Picking apart" is your characterization of my posts. Please consider how I may not have any such intention.

But to otherwise answer your question, my initial post pertained more to earmuffs' comments than Mark Fulton's, but then Mark Fulton responded to me, and I continued the conversation. I don't think what you may see as me singling out Mark Fulton is at all me singling him out.

(24-05-2013 08:14 PM)Full Circle Wrote: He is isn't he? I find that fat cat seems to miss sarcasm and often the main point of a statement.

I have no doubt I sometimes miss sarcasm, but what I think you're more commonly noticing is my dislike and subsequent discouragement of sarcasm. In this case, was Mark Fulton being sarcastic in making his statements I responded to? If so, then I definitely missed the sarcasm.

(24-05-2013 08:16 PM)Momsurroundedbyboys Wrote: I think the person is being a bit nit picky about "you" in that. As if Mark somehow believes that religion was invented only to convince him. I find it the tenor to be a bit harsh. But maybe they feel they have a reason to single out Mark Fulton?

While I didn't assume he actually believed god was invented only to control him, he did make a statement conveying that idea. Had he believed that idea, I was hoping he would consider it's not true.

But I was leaning toward the possibility he did not believe that idea, and considered why he may have made the statement, anyway. I thought he may have had a distrust for theists in general based upon a categorical understanding of them, perhaps accompanied by some anger toward them. So I hoped he would consider the first theists may have had no intent to manipulate anybody, and that many theists existing today might also not intend to manipulate anybody.

I'm not surprised you consider my tone harsh, but please trust that I didn't feel harsh or intend my statements as anything against his person when writing my comments, nor do I now.

I have no doubt I sometimes miss sarcasm, but what I think you're more commonly noticing is my dislike and subsequent discouragement of sarcasm. In this case, was Mark Fulton being sarcastic in making his statements I responded to? If so, then I definitely missed the sarcasm.

Did I get the gender wrong? If so, sorry about that. I went to the link provided and it had to do with candies?

So why the dislike for sarcasm? It can be a very effective way of pointing out absurdities, and what's religion if not absurd?

“I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man’s reasoning powers are not above the monkey’s.”~Mark Twain
“Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.”~ Ambrose Bierce

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: Did I get the gender wrong? If so, sorry about that. I went to the link provided and it had to do with candies?

It'd help if people filled out their damn profiles now and again, ya know...

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: So why the dislike for sarcasm? It can be a very effective way of pointing out absurdities, and what's religion if not absurd?

An absolutely horrendous, failed system which has been manipulated countless times by the more intelligent and malicious members of various populations, resulting in oppressed peoples globally by both themselves and others, childhood indoctrination and indoctrination of the mentally unstable or in need of help, the vilification of believers of other faiths or no faith at all, count less wars, cleansings and genocides all culminating into probably hundreds of millions, if not billions of deaths all told throughout all of Human history along with countless human rights violations past, present and undoubtedly future and the ever lurking threat of extremists from all sides.

What is religion if not absurd indeed, Full Circle.

The people closely associated with the namesake of female canines are suffering from a nondescript form of lunacy.
"Anti-environmentalism is like standing in front of a forest and going 'quick kill them they're coming right for us!'" - Jake Farr-Wharton, The Imaginary Friend Show.

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(25-05-2013 05:55 AM)Free Thought Wrote:

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: Did I get the gender wrong? If so, sorry about that. I went to the link provided and it had to do with candies?

It'd help if people filled out their damn profiles now and again, ya know...

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: So why the dislike for sarcasm? It can be a very effective way of pointing out absurdities, and what's religion if not absurd?

An absolutely horrendous, failed system which has been manipulated countless times by the more intelligent and malicious members of various populations, resulting in oppressed peoples globally by both themselves and others, childhood indoctrination and indoctrination of the mentally unstable or in need of help, the vilification of believers of other faiths or no faith at all, count less wars, cleansings and genocides all culminating into probably hundreds of millions, if not billions of deaths all told throughout all of Human history along with countless human rights violations past, present and undoubtedly future and the ever lurking threat of extremists from all sides.

What is religion if not absurd indeed, Full Circle.

But Mrs. Lincoln, other than that, how did you enjoy the play?

PS This just went into the Words I Want To Remember thread.

“I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man’s reasoning powers are not above the monkey’s.”~Mark Twain
“Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.”~ Ambrose Bierce

The following 2 users Like Full Circle's post:2 users Like Full Circle's postFree Thought (25-05-2013), Cardinal Smurf (25-05-2013)

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: Did I get the gender wrong? If so, sorry about that. I went to the link provided and it had to do with candies?

Further down in the thread is a very brief discussion with Free Thought about my gender. I'll cave and admit that I am a male, but because I didn't believe I mentioned anything to indicate that before you or Free Thought labeled me so, I just wanted to point out you didn't know that.

I appreciate the sentiment behind your apology, but I wasn't offended, nor would I be if you actually mistook my gender or any other detail about me.

(25-05-2013 05:41 AM)Full Circle Wrote: So why the dislike for sarcasm? It can be a very effective way of pointing out absurdities, and what's religion if not absurd?

I generally don't like sarcasm, because it's an approach to pointing out falsity, presumption, absurdity, etc that has conventionally been intended as insult, and I would prefer we human beings stop intentionally insulting each other.

(25-05-2013 05:55 AM)Free Thought Wrote: It'd help if people filled out their damn profiles now and again, ya know...

I deliberately chose not to fill out my profile. For what it's worth, I was not offended by you presuming I was a male.

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(25-05-2013 06:15 AM)Full Circle Wrote:

(25-05-2013 05:55 AM)Free Thought Wrote: It'd help if people filled out their damn profiles now and again, ya know...

An absolutely horrendous, failed system which has been manipulated countless times by the more intelligent and malicious members of various populations, resulting in oppressed peoples globally by both themselves and others, childhood indoctrination and indoctrination of the mentally unstable or in need of help, the vilification of believers of other faiths or no faith at all, count less wars, cleansings and genocides all culminating into probably hundreds of millions, if not billions of deaths all told throughout all of Human history along with countless human rights violations past, present and undoubtedly future and the ever lurking threat of extremists from all sides.

What is religion if not absurd indeed, Full Circle.

But Mrs. Lincoln, other than that, how did you enjoy the play?

PS This just went into the Words I Want To Remember thread.

The people closely associated with the namesake of female canines are suffering from a nondescript form of lunacy.
"Anti-environmentalism is like standing in front of a forest and going 'quick kill them they're coming right for us!'" - Jake Farr-Wharton, The Imaginary Friend Show.

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

Maybe it was a collection of smaller events that led to my De conversion but I remember my last night at youth group My hands were shaking during the message I kept my head down I felt physical pain every time the leader said God or Jesus and so that night I found the video by Evidence on youtube and it blew my mind.

RE: Please Share The Experience That Confirmed You Were an Atheist/Agnostic

(25-05-2013 06:41 AM)fat cat Wrote: I generally don't like sarcasm, because it's an approach to pointing out falsity, presumption, absurdity, etc that has conventionally been intended as insult, and I would prefer we human beings stop intentionally insulting each other.

I understand where you are coming from on the issue, but I tend to not share your sentiment. Sarcasm is one of the more prominent tools of communication that I like to use. I don't know why, it's just how I'm wired. In fact, if I am conversing with someone and do not use a healthy amount of sarcasm it means either a: I don't know you well enough to engage you in a truly personal conversation, or b: I simply don't like and/or respect you enough to engage you in a truly personal conversation.

While I can appreciate your penchant for concise, careful communication, I find it to be bland and rather inhuman. There are definitely places where it is appropriate, but if in everyday conversation you can't take a fucking joke, I'd advise a thicker set of skin.

But now I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.